Measure would raise sales tax a half-percent to 8.25 percent with money earmarked for fire department
Santee Fire Captain Richard Medlin watches as a brushfire burns next to Otay Lakes Road near Highway 94 on May 20, 2017. Santee residents will decide this November whether they want to pay higher sales taxes to boost funding for local fire stations.
“If we’re spending 100 dollars on a grocery bill, is it worth it for you to throw two quarters in a bucket for the firemen?,” said Daniel Bickford, a Santee resident who has co-sponsored the initiative with Dustyn Garhartt, a fire captain. The measure has been met with opposition, including San Diego County Taxpayers Association. SDCTA president and CEO Haney Hong said the initiative puts budgeting at the ballot box — something the organization considers a “bad governance practice.” Hong also noted heavy involvement from the Firefighters Association, who would directly benefit from the initiative.
A large portion of Santee is deemed “very high” risk for wildfires, but the city is home to only two stations. Some have expressed concern the department cannot properly serve the city’s approximately 60,000 residents.
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